Sage Words of Advice

I have a ton of favorite authors. I know that might sound ludicrous to you (because how can a person have more than one favorite?) but nevertheless it’s true. The majority of authors gracing my “favorites list” are there for one (and only one) reason…they know how to entertain me. They make me laugh. They make me cry. They expand my ability to imagine. Katie Kacvinsky is NOT on the list for any of those reasons. Because, while she CAN make me laugh, or cry, or imagine, it’s her ability to INSPIRE that keeps me coming back.

Three years ago (on a whim) I picked up a book titled “Awaken.” That book changed the way I look at the world around me. How I react to the people that make up the pieces of my life. In 2012 it’s sequel “Middle Ground” reinforced those sentiments. It reminded me that life is meant to be lived, not squandered. Yesterday the third and final installment (of a series I have quoted more than any other) came to an end. And while I’m sad it’s gone; the inspiration/hope/clarity it afforded me will forever be a part of me.

“In the final installment to the trilogy begun with Awaken, Maddie returns home to make her final stand against Digital School, and uncovers deeply guarded secrets about her family and new truths about herself.”

Not all books end the way you expect or want them to. I think this is brilliant because well…that’s life. It’s messy. There are lessons in the letdown, challenges in the change. I’m willing to bet that a large majority of people invested in this series are NOT going to like its ending. Me? I loved it.

If you have read that first two books in this series you are already aware of where book three is going to take you, and that is into the mouth of a very hungry shark. There HAS TO be change; whether in the demise of DS (which has been the goal throughout the entire series) or the acceptance of it. The riots, kidnappings, and general mayhem that unfold between the pages of “Still Point” can ALL be attributed to this. But the important details of THIS story are not what is happening in the midst of the chaos, it’s what is happening in the quiet moments. Maddie has been on an epic road to self-discovery and it ALL comes to a head in this novel.

Now, I’m not going to give it away by tellinh you what happens, but I WILL tell you this. PEOPLE CHANGE. Things that were once vital become detrimental. Eyes are opened, emotions are revealed, and hope changes shape. Let’s just say there is one new character introduced into the mix of Maddie’s life, and he is a GAME CHANGER. He can see things that someone else can’t. And I was really happy to experience that.

On top of a brilliant story (which is perfectly paced, plotted, and executed…) there is the added bonus of Kacvinsky’s formidable writing. Here are just a few passages that made it to my quote book.

“She said I have a lot of water in my personality and it’s a gift, but it’s also a challenge to control. You can’t tie water down. Water can be difficult to love too, because it moves around anything trying to contain it. It can overflow its banks and lose its sense of home. She told me to use my water to my advantage, but to be aware of what I can destroy. She said not all obstacles are meant to slow me down or block my path. They’re simply there to redirect me.”

“Showing people is a lot more inspiring than telling them,” he said. “Scare tactics are what got us into this mess. Just be honest. Show people they have options. People will see you living a different life, one that’s radically different, and they’ll wonder. They’ll ask questions. So be ready to have answers.”

“Life. It isn’t as inconsequential as I once believed. It’s like art. You can but it, already painted for you, and you can admire somebody else’s idea of it. Or you can create it yourself, one brushstroke, one chipped piece at a time. You can give it your own colors and textures and patterns. It may not make sense to anyone else, but it will make sense to you.”

So there you have it. A stellar ending to an eye-opening series. It’s going to piss a bunch of people off but to me…it ended EXACTLY how MADDIE needed it to, and it was HER story, not yours.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: “People are placed on your path to open you up or to dust you off. They come along to change you, or to make or break you. In the moment, you don’t always understand, but when you look back, you see the impact they make. You see how they helped navigate your direction. People come in and out of your life during points where you need them, and some move on and some leave imprints. But it never happens the way you expect it. If life happened the way you planned, how boring would that be?”

About Misty

Your friendly neighborhood narcissist. I'm sarcastic, cynical and a bit cranky. I own a soap box so big that sometimes I have difficulty stepping down off of it, and I'm about 94% certain I have multiple personalities. I don't sleep enough, and I read more than any person should ever consider normal. I have anger management issues, especially when I'm stuck in traffic and I have an unhealthy obsession with my Kindle. I am a vampire lovin', zombie obsessed, book-in-hand, iPod freak. You either love me or hate me. You be the judge.